Vue de Sydney et de l’entree de la riviere de Paramatta

Panorama of Sydney from the official account by Abel du Petit-Thouars, Voyage Autour du Monde sur La Venus 1836-1839. This is the rarest of the published accounts of the French voyages to visit Sydney in the nineteenth century.

Abel Aubert Dupetit-Thouars (1836-1839)

Dupetit-Thouars joined the navy at the age of eleven, was appointed ‘asprant (midshipman) in 1808 and ‘enseigne’ in 1814. As a member of a patrician family (he was a nephew of Aristide Dupetit-Thouars who searched for La Perouse), the restoration of the monarchy aided his career and enabled him to become ‘lieutenant de vasseau’ in 1819, and ‘captaine de fregate’ in 1826. His reputation was further enhanced by his service in the expedition against Algiers. On 21st December 1836 he was issued instructions to sail the areas frequented by French whalers and offer assistance where required, and to assist French traders along the coasts of South and Central America, where commercial enterprise had been slow to take off.

Ref: Howgego D38 p185-187